From the Test Kitchen: Interesting Ways to Use Avocado

From the Test Kitchen, Volume 1

Avocado is one of the most loved ingredients around the world for its health benefits, delicious flavor, and most importantly, its versatility. In recent years, avocado found itself trending in the form of avocado toast, which truly took the culinary world by storm. Who doesn’t love an avocado toast to start the day or as a quick healthy lunch on the go? In its most basic form, avocado finds its way into sandwiches and wraps as an addition that almost makes the menu item more luxurious, as well as creating added value for the operator. And we can’t forget the most popular use of avocado... guacamole.

“Starting in the mid-’90s, guacamole became especially popular in the United States." According to Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times columnist and author of Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America, “There was a point when more people in America knew about guacamole than knew about avocados.”

Guacamole spread like wildfire across the US starting with the interactive tableside version that brings the culinary experience directly to the customer in an experiential manner diners never forget. From there, as the saying goes, the rest is history.

Although the fascination with guacamole has persisted today through the access offered by restaurants like Chipotle, Qdoba, and Café Rio, I find myself asking, what else can this amazing fruit do? After recently starting at Simplot, I was introduced to a full line of frozen avocado products that range from avocado halves to innovative spreads highlighting trending flavors like dill pickle, tzatziki, and everyone’s favorite, everything bagel. I will admit, coming from a fine dining background, the word frozen paired with avocado made me skeptical. But I was pleasantly surprised when exploring this versatile line of products.

Now, I invite you to join me on a journey in the test kitchen where I will show you five unique ways I used Simplot’s Harvest Fresh® Avocado line to create something delicious for even the largest skeptics of frozen avocado products.

Avocado Carbonara

When starting this journey, I warmed up with a layup…pasta! No matter the season, a delicious bowl of pasta hits the spot, and one of the most popular forms is carbonara. Creamy, cheesy, and anchored with the familiar flavor of bacon, all intertwined with a perfect al dente pasta. What’s not to love? I jumped right in, using sautéed pancetta as a starting point and followed my instincts from there.

Avocado and Eggs

My next stop on the avocado journey had to be breakfast. Avocado begs for breakfast, and what better companion than eggs? I thought it would be interesting to do four versions to really show the versatility of this idea. From a simple avocado and egg to sausage and gouda, a well-dressed fresh breakfast veggie, and finally, a tomato and pancetta caponata—there’s something for everyone. The fun thing is, the options are endless as far as toppings go and any operator can utilize this application with menu items they already have. Have a little fun and come up with something perfect for your operation.

Avocado Spread Boards

We all remember the trend that spread, well, like butter! The concept was cool and played well with the idea of grazing tables that are still very trendy as we speak. However, I think there’s a better base for this idea. Simplot makes three innovative avocado spreads that are really changing the frozen avocado game: Harvest Fresh® Dill Pickle Flavored Avocado Spread, Harvest Fresh® Cucumber Tzatziki Flavored Avocado Spread, and (coming soon), Harvest Fresh® Everything Bagel Flavored Avocado Spread. As I was exploring the idea of interesting avocado uses, the butter board came to mind, and these two beautiful presentations came to life. A smoked salmon plate is a delicious brunch item, and what better way to take things up a notch than Simplot Harvest Fresh® Everything Bagel Flavored Avocado Spread? It’s the perfect base for these flavors and comes seasoned, making this an easy addition to any brunch menu. The second presentation features the Simplot Harvest Fresh® Cucumber Tzatziki Flavored Avocado Spread with classic Mediterranean accoutrements. Roasted beets, olives, feta, and now, as I’m writing this, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil would’ve made this dish positively Greek! This concept would be easy to riff on with charcuterie, south American grilled meats, and any number of delicious cheeses; the options are endless. And with that, we bid you adieu butter board; you had your moment.

Avocado Key Lime Pie Bites

What great food adventure would be complete without dessert? As I researched this project, I saw avocado being utilized in chocolate dishes, brownies, cookies, and tons of smoothies, but as this is the summer season, nothing really grabbed my attention (it's currently 103°F). Growing up I remember being in similar weather in Key West, and then it came to me, key lime pie! It’s light, refreshing, and I certainly wouldn’t be fighting color with my avocado. Just as I suspected, avocado woven into this concept added a creaminess that is just divine, while still being very soft when served. I also decided to make these in a two-to-three-bite format because there’s nothing better after a great meal than an operator that offers something small and light for dessert. After all, it’s beach season! The key lime avocado flavors marry perfectly with the date, cashew, almond-based crust and almost make you feel like you are eating healthy. As far as dessert goes, this is one of the closest I’ve made to the healthy line in my career. As a Chef that doesn’t love making dessert, I can say this is simple and efficient for even the angriest bear in the kitchen. Grab some avocado, preferably from Simplot, follow along and enjoy!

Avocado Cocktail

When it comes to dining, I have always said I will try anything once. Avocado and cocktails are not something I would immediately match, but to my surprise, this experiment turned out deliciously. I dare say we might have found the ever-popular Bloody Mary’s latest foe! I recently read an article highlighting a food blogger's experience with a peculiar brunch drink called the "Smoothie Moves" (an avocado toast cocktail), and off to the test kitchen to try my hand at mixology, I went.

The backbone of the cocktail in the article is obviously avocado, so I began with the Simplot Harvest Fresh® Dill Pickle Flavored Avocado Spread and blended it with a local Idaho potato vodka, naturally. Not all vodkas taste or function the same, and I believe we have uncovered the perfect pairing for potatoes and avocados. From there, it was time to bring something sweet to the mix, so following the article's advice, I went for it, kale simple syrup. Yes, you read that correctly. This baffled me more than the idea of putting avocado in a cocktail, but the theory proved to work. Kale offers an earthy, rich backbone for the drink, and when blended with simple syrup and some lime juice, it tasted really great. After shaking up a few iterations, I discovered that 2 oz. of avocado/potato vodka mix to 1 oz. of kale simple syrup was perfect poured over ice. An everything bagel bread crumb rim, club soda float, and a garnish of lime brought the whole thing together. My avocado cocktail journey was a success! This one may not be for everyone, but I think it’s worth a try on some brunch menus shaken, not stirred.